Category: Bathrooms

In preparation for KBB Birmingham 2018, we now look back at what we achieved in the 2016 exhibition, taking note of the positives to make it even more successful next year.

Pura Bathrooms Group has been a regular exhibitor at KBB for a decade. We had a stand in March 2016, and as always it was a fantastic experience for us.

About KBB

KBB Birmingham is the UK’s largest established kitchen, bedroom and bathroom brands gathering.

During KBB over 400 exhibitors meet to provide insights into the technological advances in the Industry, as well being presented the Innovation Award Winners.

Design

Our design last year took a modern approach, where all our brands were integrated in a multi-shaped stand. In our design, visitors were able to find inspirational designs with Imex and Deuco integrated in the same display. Separate Flova wall boards and a sitting down area gave our visitors a comfortable place to take a break and discuss our designs with our CEO, Graham Wickens.

Tall virtual view of our stands

Side virtual view of our Deuco and Imex displays

Virtual view of the back of our stand

Inside virtual view of our Flova wall stands

Building the displays

Back in September I published our blog How to Build a Bathroom Showroom. I based my blog on a time-lapse that we had created while our teams built the new Conference Room in our HQ in Crowborough. In my blog I described a step-by-step guide on building a luxury bathroom showroom.

Our exhibition stands follow a very similar step-by-step procedure. From it’s inception in the form of a design agreement, to the design itself, gathering of materials and completion, our teams put together high quality, solid stands that could well stand the test of time, beyond the four days during which KBB takes place.

Check out these photos with our team working on our stands for KBB 2016:

Our stands

The result of all that hard work by our designers and building teams came together beautifully in our stunning Group stands:

KBB will take place from the 4th to the 7th of March 2018. We will share our new design for the 2018 exhibition nearer the time, watch this space!

Will you be attending? let us know in the comments below so we can look forward to meeting you then!

Bathroom Showrooms

Earlier this month I had a chance to complete a time-lapse video showing the amazing work that our building teams carried out in our new conference room/bathroom showroom at our HQ in Crowborough, East Sussex. Our teams carried out the work in a space of a few months.

… So, when thinking about this month’s blog, the choice was clear: what takes building a quality showroom?

With the help of our Project Manager, Jeremy Gearing, we were able to put together a list of steps to follow when creating a high quality bathroom showroom. Jeremy kindly also provided the images that I have used in this blog to illustrate the steps.

Click to watch our time-lapse in 4K

First step: Bathroom Showroom Proposal

We work closely with our customers to create environments where we can show what our brands are about, and what can be achieved with them.

This starts with a business proposal where we agree with our customers:

space,

number and size of displays

budgetary commitments

building time-scales and;

any other factors

For example what team(s) of contractors will be involved, materials, etc. The project starts here with a carefull plan of what we need to achieve and how we can achieve this. In partnership with our customers. From then on, this becomes a collaboration project.

Second step: Bathroom Design

When we agree a proposal with a customer, our project manager and in-house designer, Lauren Sutton. She will sit down and design the new bathroom showroom using a CAD-based program to enable us 3D imagery.

Virtual Worlds 3D, the software used in-house, enable us visualising how the showroom will look when it reaches completion. Lauren carries out the design work in close collaboration with the customer, as their input during the design process is also necessary.

Third step: Raising the Orders

Raising the orders focuses on booking the materials and products once the layout has been agreed. This is the stage where the project materialises and starts taking form.

Ideally, there will be a storage facility where all the materials can be kept while the new bathroom showroom is being build. But this will not always be the case. When the materials can’t be stored during the duration of the building process, our suppliers will deliver them as an when our teams need to use them.

We obviously always prefer when storage is available, as this contributes to a much seamless flow. It also makes it easier for the teams of contractors as they have direct access to the materials.

Something else to take into account is whether the public will have access to the construction site while our teams are busy working in it. There are health and safety considerations that need to take place and it would be advisable to do the work without the distraction that high traffic areas entail.

[Fact] To enable us to realise our latest bathroom showroom project, which involved 10 displays, we used over 4,500 screws on planks of wood and it took over 1,000 hours of work!

Fourth step: Building from the Ground Up

The teams of contractors start by laying the floors first, using tiling and/or carpet around the showroom.

[Tip] Dust and water are constantly being cleaned on every step of the building process, before moving to the next task. To avoid dust build up and prevent any damage to the materials and products installed.

Bathroom showrooms normally don’t rely on the use of running water in their installations. Therefore, plumbers aren’t needed during these kind of projects. Installations featuring running water tend to be done in separate, independent areas where our customers can display the products next to each other. Thus benefiting from the same water source.

Some companies choose to use Foamex, which provides the same look as a ‘real’ installation and is faster to build with. However it isn’t a solid finish and can sustain damage more easily.

We are proud to carry out the building work using wood frames, high quality materials, concrete floors and tiling. The same way as it would be done in a home.

Using construction materials to support the displays ensure the durability of our displays. Also, it guarantees that our installations will enable a similar treatment than a bathroom would. Finally, it also allows visitors to test our products if they wish to test their quality.

Fifth step: Electrical Work

Lighting is normally left in the care of our customers. Once the last product is fitted, any electrical installations will be done by contractors. Some stores will have their own teams to carry out the electrical installations.

Sixth step: Final Touches

Once the building work is done, our team ensure that the products are fitted correctly and that the electrical installations are up to the highest standards. Our project manager and designer, Lauren Sutton will then provide the final touches: towels and soap dispensers to match the theme of each display.

Real bathroom items give the displays a life-like appearance showing that we put care into every single detail, helping the store’s visitors visualise our products in their home.

Seventh step: Training

We provide our sales teams with the best training. Their knowledge will be then passed on to all our customers. We ensure to consistently equip our sales teams with product knowledge as well as technical knowledge.

Together with their experience and face-to-face relationship with our customers, this make them some of the best sales teams in the industry.

At times our sales teams are part of the work that the teams carry out in a new showroom. However, they spend a long time on the road visiting other customers and may not have the chance to be present when some of the building work is carried out.

On these occasions, when the new showroom is complete and before the showroom is open to the public, we train our sales teams on the work involved in the brand new showroom. This will also enable them to have full knowledge of the progress of any project.

The Result of our Passion

We put a lot of hard work into everything we do. We are always exploring new ways to make our showrooms a unique experience. Also, we understand that a new bathroom is a long-term investment. As result of this, we strive to be part of the exciting process that is choosing the perfect bathroom for your home.

A new bathroom showroom can also be an incredibly exciting experience for the store, as well as a step forward in every direction.

When a store takes the step to build a showroom with Pura Bathrooms Group, after relying on brochures to sell bathroom products, for our customer it means a new, elevated status. This is the time when a product on a page becomes a reality that can be experienced, touched, admired and, ultimately, be inspired by!

Would you like to be inspired even more? Visit our ‘be inspired‘ page for ideas for your new bathroom!

Follow the #PBGstyle hashtag in your internet search for inspirational designs and bathroom displays around the UK.

The Pura Bathrooms group is committed to providing efficient, well designed and eco-friendly products and as part of its continued growth incorporates in all its brands a comprehensive range of durable, high quality bathroom products that perform above the industry standards. Read more on our growth in our November 2016’s blog.

Baths of strength and quality

Recently, we introduced our new Deuco video banner. This week is the turn of Puracast premium baths. In this blow we zero in on the brand’s drive for quality and strength, becoming part of its core identity.

What is Puracast?

Puracast baths are the ultimate premium bath. Hand finished in the UK to the most exacting of standards. Puracast baths are rigid, durable, strong and with a reassuring substantial weight are perfect for all bathrooms. This is regardless of bath style you decide on.

Puracast designs premium baths in beautiful sculptural shapes that suit the contemporary bathroom, thanks to the versatility of their materials, advanced manufacturing processes and the quality of our craftsmanship.

What makes Puracast ‘premium’?

Made from a generous 5mm of acrylic, we apply 7 layers of fibreglass core matting by hand and reinforce each bath bonding them with resin. This is the same construction method that the automotive and maritime industries use.

Plus fibreglass matting and resin bonding encapsulate the timber frame bath rims and bath bases to provide extra rigidity, meaning the bath will not ‘flex’ when you step in.

Our Puracast Wave displayed in KBME in Bedfordshire (Click to open in Instagram)

How Puracast makes premium baths

Due to the rigour of the manufacturing process and the quality of the materials used, Puracast premium baths have superb thermal retention. This results in the water staying warm much longer than in the average acrylic bath, meaning you don’t waste water or energy.

The reinforcement process creates strength and durability, so you don’t get that unnerving ‘flexing’ sensation when you step in.

During the manufacture, the care that we put on each Puracast premium bath is second to none. Our highly skilled team ‘paint’ the baths with 7 layers of fibreglass core matting and resin bonding by hand. Even the timber framing the bath rims and bath bases are fully encapsulated using exactly the same process for extra strength and rigidity.

Finally, our team gives each Puracast premium bath that final lustrous easy to clean sheen at our manufacturing facilities in East Sussex. It’s the finishing touch that makes Puracast premium baths so special.

Would you like to see more? We have put together a video explaining the process, step by step, as we covered in this blog.

You can find the Puracast collection in our video below:

Get in touch with us

If you would like more information or speak to one of our Sales Managers, please contact our Marketing department and we will be happy to help you. Please ring 01892 613558 or email marketing@purabathroomsgroup.co.uk

Please order one of our brochures by clicking here(opens in a new window/tab)

The Pura Bathrooms group is committed to providing efficient, well designed and eco-friendly products and as part of its continued growth incorporates in all its brands a comprehensive range of durable, high quality bathroom products that perform above the industry standards. Read more on our growth in our November 2016’s blog.

Pura Bathrooms eCommerce

We have recently completed our first year of eCommerce -online ordering-, a world previously untouched by Pura Bathrooms and most of the bathroom and plumbing industry, which is stereotypically more comfortable with a fax machine or pen and paper than eCommerce!

Accessible by all of our customers, the website highlights our objective of delivering a quicker and simpler ordering method, with greater benefits than ordering by more traditional means.

Here’s how moving your ordering to our online platform is better than doing it the old school way.

Stock

The website has a live stock profile that constantly updates to bring you our latest inventory. If an item is out of stock, you won’t be able to order the item, and you’ll be asked to either delete the item from your order or back order it, allowing you to log in at a later date and order it when it’s back in stock. Simple.

Ordering Anytime

Unlike our sales team, the website doesn’t need to eat lunch, visit the loo or even take time off over Christmas. It works every minute of every day, meaning that you can place your orders whenever you feel like it. Now that’s convenient!

Ordering Anywhere

Our website is compatible on desktop computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets, meaning that can quite literally place and order from anywhere on the planet! So if you fancied a trip to Australia but need to get that stock order on for next day delivery, fear not, all you need in an internet connection down under and you’re good to go!

Promotions

The Pura website is becoming our platform for all promotions and sales. It’ll be the best place to go for a bargain. It may be a summer sale, Black Friday or Christmas Bonanza, all products could be discounted giving even greater value for money!

Card payments

Whether you have a pro forma account or a ginormous credit limit, all customers can use a credit or debit card to pay for their order up front. We use WorldPay, a global payment system that’s secure, quick and easy. If you take advantage of paying up front with your order, you’ll receive another 2% discount off the value of the order. If you’d rather use your credit limit, that’s absolutely fine and the website will link to our central invoicing system and invoice you at the end of the month just like any other order.

Quick Orders

Browsing our comprehensive range of products is easy on the website. Ordering them is even easier! If you have the product code, you’re able to type it straight into your basket and add one with minimum hassle. We’re assuming that you want to spend less time placing orders with us and more time with your customers!

Delivery addresses

Whether you have a single premise or multiple branches the website is flexible enough to accommodate you. You can add as many addresses as you need by clicking ‘view your account’ on the website. This means that if you have a central purchaser for multiple locations, they will be able to select the delivery address for each order and still be invoiced centrally. Alternatively, each branch can have its own log in for the website, and still be invoiced correctly.

We have invested time and money into creating a platform designed to make the ordering process quicker and simpler. The platform is available for all our customers to use, so register online by clicking here. Once you’ve registered, a member of our online team will activate your account and you’ll be able to take advantage of the number of benefits of ordering online.

A year online has taught us a number of lessons. But most importantly, we know that if we continue to invest in our customers with things like this, they will continue to invest in us.

Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy your purchasing experience with us.

The Pura Bathrooms group is committed to providing efficient, well designed and eco-friendly products and as part of its continued growth incorporates in all its brands a comprehensive range of durable, high quality bathroom products that perform above the industry standards. Read more on our growth in our November 2016’s blog.

About Deuco Bathroom Furniture

For three decades, Deuco have designed and manufactured fine bathroom furniture in their Hertfordshire premises, using traditional skills and modern methods to create unique and imaginative bathroom solutions. To capture its core identity we have created a video ‘banner’ which reflects a proudly British brand.

Click to watch the new Deuco branding ad

This blog was created to inspire your next bathroom design, from the point of view of our own furniture brand, but with a twist. We are showing you here some of the most successful designs based on the feedback collected from our digital marketing campaigns.

For this blog we use images from our bathroom showrooms in our customer stores, that we hope will serve you as a guide for your next bathroom project.

Deuco currently offers two ranges, Fitted and Modular, with the aim of transforming a bathroom into a luxurious environment, perfectly tailored to your needs and crafted to reflect your own distinctive style.

Fitted Furniture

This bathroom was designed in-house by our Project Manager for Tippers Showrooms, featuring a perfectly tailored design to maximise storage on one side of the bathroom. It is complemented with a matching WC cistern cover. This design is beautifully finished in natural cream avola.

Our Project Manager, Lauren Sutton, designed the following design for Capelles in Guernsey. The furniture was finished in gloss mussel and the bath plinth in natural driftwood. The mirror is a Deuco Luna LED wall mirror with infrared switch.

Fitted furniture can also be the ideal choice for traditional homes with limited space and a need for large amounts of storage. This style can be a great choice for a sleek, streamlined look with plenty of storage space.

The following video features a design in gloss cashmere, with Imex Essence sanitaryware, Pura Flite and Flova Dekka brassware. This design has sleek style and storage in mind.

Click to watch the demo in YouTube

Modular furniture

Each unit in our Modular furniture series is stand-alone, allowing elements from across the modular ranges to be mixed and matched to create a truly bespoke bathroom design.

We completed recently our new showroom in HPS Sevenoaks where this stunning and simple design can be found. The bluish tone gives the bathroom a moody character. However, despite it being a small bathroom, the space is well managed with the inclusion of an M Series 800 x 455 wall mounted single drawer cabinet in gloss cashmere.

The Flova Levo basin mixer combines perfectly with the Deuco basin, as well as a Puracast Arco showerbath also including a Flova Levo shower pack and bath filler.

This hugely successful design has gathered a large amount of positive feedback in all our social media platforms. (LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.)

Click to open in Instagram

Designs that attract most attention

The image below is also a hugely successful design from a display designed in-house for Capelles Showroom in Guernsey. This design also features an M Series cabinet, this time a 1200 x 455 double basin cabinet with a side by side single drawer.

Next to the shower cubicle a Deuco Reflections two tall door mirror cabinet provides this stunning design with more mirror state and storage space.

This display also features a Pura Bathrooms Bloque back to wall WC, Flova Urban basin taps and a Deuco Grace LED Mirror (infrared switch and magnifying mirror).

Click to view in Facebook

Q15

Q15 from Deuco also attracts a great deal attention in our posts, as well as positive feedback from our followers, our customers and buyers-to-be. This is due to its space-saving features, being subtle and graceful on the outside but deceptively spacious inside.

The following set is finished in a combination of gloss teal and gloss mussel on the front panels and natural nebraska oak on the side panels, providing a striking contrast. The furniture set was formed by a 800 x 460 15cm high basin cabinet with drawer and waste cutout, a Try Qube storage cabinet, and a wall mounted single door storage cabinet.

This display also features Imex Liberty toilet and bidet, Flova Urban throughout with a tall basin mixer next to the Imex Liberty bowl and a Deuco Luna LED mirror (infrared switch).

Click to view in Instagram

The display below is a similar example of Q15 but this time the set is build into a smaller space. Our team put it together using a combination of gloss red and gloss mussel on the front panels and natural nebraska oak on the side panels. It is located in the BuildIt showroom, in Gloucester.

A similar design is also displayed in the HPS showroom, in Sevenoaks, also featuring Flova Urban brassware, next to a Puracast bath:

Click to view in Instagram

Wing Basin

Lastly, our video below features the M Series wing basin finished in natural cream avola featuring left and right wing basins for a minimalist look.

Click to watch the video in YouTube

The choices are endless

This is a selection among many of the ranges in the Deuco furniture collection. Whether you select Fitted or Modular furniture, with our wide choice of sizes, finishes, colours, textures, handles and accessories you are sure to find the perfect look for your bathroom.

The exceptionally high standards in quality and meticulous attention to detail mean you can be confident in choosing Deuco for your dream bathroom. Don’t forget to visit the Deuco website!

Follow the #PBGstyle hashtag in your internet search for inspirational designs and bathroom displays around the UK.

The Pura Bathrooms group is committed to providing efficient, well designed and eco-friendly products and as part of its continued growth incorporates in all its brands a comprehensive range of durable, high quality bathroom products that perform above the industry standards. Read more on our growth in our November 2016’s blog.

Launch Success

Back in February we announced that Graham Wickens, our CEO, together with Hedley Bennett, our Business Development Coordinator would represent Imex Ceramics UK during the ISH Exhibition. Imex took the opportunity to launch rimless, and it was a great success.

The event took place in Frankfurt from the 14th to the 18th of March. Although we expected to do well, we weren’t expecting it to be the hugely successful week that it was.

We are posting some images in this blog of the Imex stand, designed in a luxurious wood finish while also focusing on the products.

New additions to an already great collection

The Imex team had a chance to unveil a new product line, including rimless and this new range; what do you think? Our CEO helped with the design and we think it looks fantastic!

Imex rimless explained:

Here is another view of the stand;

Here are some interesting facts about this Exhibition, one of the most important of its kind:

The number of visitors was higher compared to last 2015’s at 196,777, showing the size of this event. Out of the 2,482 exhibitors, 61% came from countries other than Germany, vouching for its international influence.

Our team was able to meet and greet with 800 of those visitors and never stopped ‘networking’ until their return on Friday. The Exhibition carried on until Saturday, however this day is reserved to more local businesses and our team had accomplished what they set out to do.

The Imex team is looking forward to another success story for ISH 2018!

Pura Bathrooms Group will also be attending the KBB 2018 Birmingham exhibition and will be keeping you updated on our presence in our monthly blogs.

The Pura Bathrooms group is committed to providing efficient, well designed and eco-friendly products and as part of its continued growth incorporates in all its brands a comprehensive range of durable, high quality bathroom products that perform above the industry standards. Read more on our growth in our November 2016’s blog.

ISH Exhibition

The 2017 ISH Exhibition in Frankfurt is the world’s biggest showcase for innovation on bathroom design, energy efficient heating and air-conditioning technology, and also renewable energies. We are excited to announce our rimless WCs. The exhibition will take place between the 14th and 18th of March 2017.

Focused on the efficient combination of water and energy, it is the world’s largest exhibition of its kind. The offerings range from sustainable solutions in sanitation to innovation in bathroom design, energy efficient heating technologies, renewable energies and environmentally friendly air-conditioning, cooling and ventilation technology.

ISH trade fair encompasses all areas of the future of building solutions at any level.

With now 50 successful years under its belt, the exhibition attracts more than 2,400 exhibitors and market leaders. During the space of 5 days the exhibition will witness their latest product launches, home solutions and technologies onto the world market.

The exhibition hosts international trade visitors from the installation and retail trades, engineers and architects, housing and property companies, service providers, manufacturers, and even public authorities and universities.

ISH takes place at Messe Frankfurt Exhibition Centre, in a vast area of 250,000 square metre. The largest groups of visitors come from sanitation, heating and air-conditioning trades.

Pura Bathrooms Group will be proud to attend the ISH exhibition with a new line of Imex products; the new Imex rimless and toilet seat. Our MD, Graham Wickens, will be there, if you are also attending don’t forget to stop by and say hello, we will look forward to meeting you.

New Imex products

The new rimless range

At the ISH exhibition we will be delighted to announce officially our new range of Imex rimless WCs, manufactured using an integrated, anti-bacterial glaze, specially formulated to provide a super smooth finish which repels any deposits. This is to ensure long-lasting hygiene protection.

The range offers a modern, precision engineered solution to the contemporary bathroom that sets it apart. With no internal rim, the innovative flushing system swirls water across the entire WC pan, removing any residue and leaving the WC clean and fresh. Our flushing system achieves this even at volumes of water as low as 4/2.6 litres per minute.

Unlike traditional box rim loos, the open design and clever flushing system delivers a splash free flush and as there is no rim to harbour bacteria or gems. This reduces the need for chemical cleaning products making it an easy to maintain, more hygienic choice.

Being WRAS approved, the precision engineered flush system cleans the entire pan at low water volumes, saving water and removing residue efficiently.

The rimless range will come in different styles to suit all tastes and bathroom schemes, and is available to order right now.

New seat collection

With soft close we aimed at the ultimate in luxury, the seat and cover close gently and whisper quiet with minimal requirement for touching the WC seat. This makes it very convenient for all the family.

Quick release function allows the entire seat to be lifted from the WC by simply pressing the button, allowing a thorough cleaning by gaining access to previously hidden areas of the toilet. This system allows for the seat to be refitted by simply clicking back into position.

The Pura Group is committed to providing efficient, well designed and eco-friendly products and as part of its continued growth incorporates in all its brands a comprehensive range of durable, high quality bathroom products that perform above the industry standards. Read more on our growth in our November 2016 blog.

… A Growing Trend

Trends come and go

… some become the norm while many are left to one side, forgotten. But one trend that seems to be here to stay; the ability of a business to provide eco products that no only perform well, but do so while having a small impact on the environment.

In the Bathroom industry, a lesser impact on the environment translates into water-savings across taps, WCs and showers, and technologies are being introduced to save water and deliver an experience.

A recent study by MTW Research, which was mentioned in the November issue of Essential Kitchen & Bathroom Business (EKBB) magazine found that, ‘based on data from 130 manufacturers and retailers in the UK bathroom market […] sales of water-saving products are on the rise, boosted by housebuilding, domestic refurbishment and a continued emphasis on water efficiency’.

Marketing departments across the industry have experienced a renewed interest in eco-friendly products, where low impact in the environment becomes a feature of the product advertised, raising its profile. This provides business a new challenge, where they can prove that their products can be more efficient while maintaining or even increasing their performance.

Everyday examples of the rise of eco products can be found in the car industry where big brands like BMW or Tesla are investing large sums in R&D to provide more efficient, eco-friendly engines that out-perform other brands, proving once more that eco-friendly doesn’t necessarily mean a compromise in performance.

The Pura Bathrooms Group launched its own eco marketing campaign featuring the low environmental impact of our products, click here to watch the video

As a business, do we think that there is currently a strong demand for eco-friendly products?

In the November Edition of EKBB magazine our Head of Marketing, Stuart Newbury, explained that demand is definitely rising. Obviously builders and developers have to follow building regulations, so there is a solid demand for eco sanitaryware, brassware and bath products. But, consumers are becoming more savvy about water saving, plus many are becoming quite focused where their water has been metered. From the Pura Bathrooms Group perspective we are expecting an increase demand for eco bathroom products and to deal with this we are bringing more and more ‘eco’ variants into our ranges.

Can products be eco-friendly and still look stylish?

Definitely! Eco-friendly does not have to mean expensive or ugly! We try to minimise the cost of additional eco-technology without compromising the look and feel of a product. Its about good engineering and thoughtful designs. An example of design and efficient engineering is the WRAS approved Imex sanitaryware, featuring a half-flush of only 2.6 litres while also performing above industry standards.

Helping retailers sell more eco products

Selling eco is often something that bathroom retailers and showroom staff find more complex to explain than non eco solutions for a couple of reasons. Primarily, because there are so many variations across manufacturers products and getting the specific facts and figures right can be tricky as the last thing they want to do is mislead the customer. And often also because customers associate eco with a less than satisfying user experience, which nowadays is generally untrue if you stock top brands. So, understandably, showroom staff can be unsure how to approach this tricky subject!

Pura Bathrooms Group display in Ware Bathroom Centre, Hertfordshire (UK). We suggest taking a ‘probing’ approach and ask the customer a series of questions which can help lead them confidently into making an eco product choice.

What if the customer is on a water meter?

Customers on water meters may be more water conscious than those customers that aren’t and therefore more receptive to eco solutions. Even if they are not on a water meter, by asking this question you might find out whether they are eco aware or not.

Investigating the size and age of the customer’s family or those that will be using the product would be a good starting point: a family with teenagers may wish to limit the amount of water that can be used. This can be done by using flow regulators within taps and showers or even lowering the depth fill level of the bath (there are many baths on the market, such as the Puracast Wave eco-bath), that allow consumers choose the depth that suits them.

With Wave you can select a fill capacity ranging from 170 litres to an eco-friendly 80 litres.
Not only is this friendlier on the environment by reducing water wastage, but it makes the hot water go further within the household too – so there is the added benefit of saving on the heating and hot water bill.

Also, investigate the customer’s bathing habits and choose products to suit – are they predominantly bathers or showerers – or both? If their preference is showering, plumb for an air mix shower such as Design or Urban dual function heads from the Flova brassware range. These will deliver water saving of around 20% and will ensure the customer has a really enjoyable shower without affecting shower performance or experience.

Finally, we would look to encourage the customer’s understanding of how using less water saves money in their pocket, and if there were products which offered this without compromising performance or experience, who wouldn’t want to save money too?

Look out for the European Water Label

The Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) have developed the European Water Label which will operate as a separate entity, registered in the UK as a limited company by the BMA.

This label has been created with the intention of informing consumers on the consumption of water of their products including showers, taps and toilets with the label showing the maximum volume of water that the product will use.

The Pura Bathrooms group is committed to providing efficient, well designed and eco-friendly products and as part of its continued growth incorporates in all its brands a comprehensive range of durable, high quality bathroom products that perform above the industry standards. Read more on our growth in our November’s blog.

Introduction

Welcome to the 1st edition of the Pura Bathrooms Group blog, with the aim to update you with all the latest news and developments in the past 12 months.

… And what a year 2016 has turned out to be. We have been tirelessly working away and have ploughed significant investment into a number of large projects to help elevate the Pura Bathrooms Group brands and provide much needed support and opportunities to our loyal customers. So, grab a cuppa, sit back and read on… the future is very bright and we look forward to sharing it with you!!!

Yours sincerely

Graham Wickens – MD

Our brands

Following on from the success of our Flova UK luxury brassware and Deuco furniture brands, coupled with feedback from our clients, we have elevated Imex Sanitaryware and Puracast fully reinforced luxury baths to brands within their own right – as well as taking the opportunity to launch new product ranges.

This exciting development allows us to target all market channels, whist still ensuring we provide full support to our loyal customers, regardless of business model.

Pura Bathrooms Group brochures

In support of the brand segmentation, brand new brochures have been designed with a more contemporary, consumer-led feel and packed with inspiring imagery, the brochures are detailed and easy to follow, include a catalogue of product codes, prices and specifications and key technical information, all adding to the premium feel of the brochures.

The brochures were redesigned with the intention of making them more user friendly and easier for trade and showroom customers to navigate, meaning they are more ‘brochulogue’ than ‘catalogue’. Additionally, the Pura Bathrooms brochure has seen significant investment increasing in page number by nearly 30% and including useful information such as quick reference pages and product pack pricing.

New websites and eCommerce

Securing significant investment in both time and resource has seen the relaunch of the new fresh look, easy to use, Pura Bathrooms. Listening to customer feedback and analysing customer usage of our old website, we have developed a dedicated customer login portal where we can post the latest product offers and deals, track orders, plot product trends and build orders to make the most efficient use of carriage, enabling you to shop and build your stock orders as and when best suits you.

Supporting the brand segmentation saw the launch of the Flova Brassware and Accessories and Deuco Furnitures websites last year and this year the launch of Imex sanitaryware and Puracast bath websites with the same look and feel to complement the new brochures. Don’t just take our word for it, view the new sites at Flova, Deuco, Imex and Puracast.

More online presence

This year, with the introduction of Digital Marketing, we have seen a very positive growth in the online medium as result of creating new social media profiles in Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube, enabling us to showcase our products and showroom designs and drive engagement with clients and customers. Our new profiles compliment our existing profiles in Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, which have experienced growth alongside the new profiles. We update our social media profiles regularly to keep our followers informed and to get closer to our clients, participating more actively in the complex network that is the UK bathroom industry.

We are proud of our products and the level of quality and design that can be achieved with them, and this drove us to create a number of lifestyle videos in YouTube which we are confident will both inspire and help delve into our product offerings.

We have also listened to the feedback provided by our Flova clients and have created a number of videos to help install and service our brassware. They can be found in our Flova YouTube library.

New products

Inspired by the elegance of the Edwardian and late Victorian era, but with all the benefits of advanced 21st Century manufacturing and precision engineering the launch of the Imex Wyndham sanitaryware collection was down to market demand. We had a gap in our premium product range for this highly desirable style.

Additionally Imex’s new ‘Liberty Series’ is the perfect blend of contemporary and classic design. Its organic lines and softly rounded edges will tick all the boxes for anyone looking for a sophisticated yet slightly less formally styled bathroom. Independent showroom retailers and their customers love it!

Our gap analysis did not stop there. We identified a need to an entry level reinforced bath range at standard bath price points leading to the Pura Bathrooms Curve and SRQ bath ranges. Incorporating a range of single ended, double ended and showerbaths, we have a number of sizes to choose from – in square and round designs as their names suggest.

KBB Exhibition 2016

A resounding success, KBB 2016 saw the launch of our best stand design yet. Showcasing the new brand segmentation, the new brochures as well as being the launch pad for the new Imex Wyndham and Liberty collections as well as the Deuco Design30 basin range, we featured two fully tiled room sets to much consternation from our installation team.

Receiving comments such as “wow, Pura Bathrooms Group really have arrived”, we’ll take that as a compliment and believe comments like this are a reflection of the recognition of our intention to take the PBG brands onto the next level!

Virtual Worlds and EQ

Following extensive customer feedback, we are delighted to announce that our product ranges are all now live on the Virtual Worlds CAD design and EQ customer quotation software programmes.

We are even able to offer an in house design service for your showroom displays. Just another example of our commitment investing all the tools necessary to support our customers.

This service started with the design of the KBB stands in March, and continued its evolution by incorporating all our products in the software to enable the designer to use them in our client’s showroom designs.

New East midlands distribution centre

The recent relocation of our distribution centre to a purpose built 2,800 pallet, 37,000ft2 facility, strategically located in Coalville, Leicestershire, means we can provide a fast, efficient service to our stockists.

We maintain a massive stock holding across all sites, and our fleet of vehicles and chosen courier partners distribute from the far North of Scotland to the tip of Cornwall in the South – covering over 70% of the UK next day.

We are growing!

And finally… In order to deliver the rapidly developing Pura Bathrooms Group business and to ensure we continue to provide you with an outstanding level of service, many new faces have joined the teams in both key internal and field based positions, covering all areas of our business: Operations, Logistics, Marketing, Customer Services and Sales.

With over 100 years combined industry experience joining the teams, we look forward to meeting you soon!